Out Of The Ashes
by Girl Bob
Summary: She was always there, she was there when they took on Sephiroth the first time two years ago, and when Cloud took on Kadaj. Borne in a shinra lab as a Sephiroth replacement, she now considers herself the Sephiroth antidote. POST AC,Please R&R updated 5.07
1. WARNING

READ THIS BEFORE YOU READ THE REST OF THE STORY:

Okay so some people have called this a Mary-sue type deal… I personally do not feel this way but to each their own. The Prologue is an Optional Read, I don't even like it I was suggested to include it because my friends kept bitching about back story. It's not a bad story… I personally feel that it get better as it goes on… I don't even like the Prologue So yes… You have been warned.

Addition because I am sick of everyone posting the same thing in reviews…

Okay popular opinion is that my character is a "Mary Sue" but have you ever read ANY real books or seen any movies? Most fantasy Sci-fi Characters start off that way... until they are humbled... Have you ever watched Star wars or Lord of the rings? Aragorn from Lord of the rings seems indestructible... and don't get me started on Anakin Skywalker...and it's first person... So my point is... we are all indestructible in our own eyes until of course someone else shows us different... so read or don't read...hehe all my characters start out as god in my original fiction too...and as for it being a stupid name... Seraphim is a kind of angel, and Cloud isn't exactly Nom de Sophisticate...I don't care whether you like it or not... I want to be critiqued I do not want a bunch of people dwelling on a single point. That Seraphim's "Mary sue"… oh joy this has been covered by 3 people already time to move on folks and if you can't get past that then don't write the review because I've heard it before and it's not going to change the way I write. There my point has been made


	2. Prologue

-Prologue "Brother?" Kadaj's question hung in the air as a mischievous smile spread across my face.

"Yes, you three have a brother… and his name is Cloud Strife, and this" I pulled a crumpled piece of paper out of my pocket. "is where you can find him" He took the piece of paper from my hand and held it like it was gold.

"He'll know where Mother is!" I started to walk away before he could go on.

"Yeah, he'll know" I muttered under my breath as I started to leave their base in the forgotten city.

Once outside someone grabbed my arm. I turned around and was readying a spell before I knew who it was. When I came face to face with Vincent I stopped. He had a look of disapproval, on his face. Hey what could I say double crossing people was fun, and I had a certain knack for it.

"You need to think about what you're doing" his deep cool voice slithered out. I put my hands on my hips and shook my head.

"Why? I did my good deed for the year… I got those two Shinra Monkey's freed… Now I have my own agenda" I pulled my leather gloves tighter.

"Do you really want to aid them? You know what they're doing…"

"Yup and technically their Mother is my mother too, why shouldn't I help them?"

"Why did you help us with Sephiroth?" I stopped and looked at him.

My reasons run deep. I suppose being raised by the Shinra corporation will do that. I was borne Ishtar Wise, and then shortly after I was turned into the experiment Project Seraphim to counter the failure of Sephiroth. I was to lead them to their promised land, needless to say poor Aeris was not the last ancient, I was and then I was injected with Jenova cells to supposedly make me a kind of super Ancient. Needless to say it didn't work. I was eighteen when Hojo lost his mind. And it was I who delivered Jenova into Sephiroth's hands in exchange for him to get me out. I don't believe in taking sides no matter what the circumstances.

"Because I could… I am supposed to succeed where he failed.. And I've taken it upon myself to be the Sephiroth antidote…" I narrowed my eyes and walked way.

"Do you still hear Aeris' voice?" I balled my hands into fist… the answer of course was yes.

"I hear many peoples voices, if they're in the life stream I've heard them, mentioning her name will get you no where, unlike you… all of you… I distanced myself it's been two years… get over it" I got on my motor cycle and left.

I went to edge city, to my tiny little apartment. I took my gloves off and started running water in my bathroom sink. My apartment was a small box. An efficiency, one room plus a bathroom. I set my cell phone on my kitchen counter and then went back into the bathroom. I washed my hands and the looked at myself in the mirror. The eyes that stared back at me were not the eyes I was born with. I never knew what my real eye color was. Now my eyes were that eerie blue ringed with green with cat eye pupils. Sephiroth's eyes, Kadaj's eyes, Jenova eyes. But my eyes never stayed like that sometimes they turned Amber, the color of a freshly stoked flame. My skin is olive and my hair is black which makes my eyes stand out. All of my features are delicate, others say beautiful but that is not really my opinion my looks are sufficient to me. I wiped my face of the grime from the road from my bathroom window I had a perfect view of the ruined Midgar and the brand new town square complete with gaudy monument. I stared at it for a moment when my cell phone started ringing. I walked into the kitchen and answered my cell.

"Hello"

"Seraphim, he doesn't have Mother" Kadaj's voice was melodic and distraught

"Perhaps President Shinra then… he could have hidden it anywhere"

"I am glad you are helping us find Mother"

"Well… I do carry parts of the Jenova gene"

"Yet, you are immune to the stigma"

"I am like Sephiroth… I told you that"

"I don't think Mother likes you much"

"She wouldn't… I killed Sephiroth" There was silence, poor little stunned remnant

"You... then why are you helping us find Mother?"

"Because I go where the money is Kadaj"

"Cloud killed Sephiroth…not you"

"I put the wheels in motion.. I couldn't have been there" What I left out was that I could feel every time they hurt him. I went to Wutai that day… and screamed.

"Loz and Yazoo don't like you either"

"Yazoo doesn't like me because I am much stronger than both him and Loz, and he can feel it"

"Why don't you come and stand by me when I go to see Rufus Shinra?"

"I have many important things to attend to… but I'll eventually be there watching form the sidelines" I sat down and got my tiny notebook out "he's in Healin"

"But I wanted you there"

"Sorry Kadaj… I have things to do"

"Please it would mean so much to me" there was something in his voice

"Are you trying to flirt with me?"

"I… I guess I am"

"Kadaj… no one likes me… I'm not likeable remember that" I hung up. I was twenty, and now for the first time ever someone liked me. It was confusing. I was lightheaded. I stared at my phone I picked it up. A thought crossed my mind of calling him back. I took the phone in my left hand and set it down again. I could meddling in their affairs all I wanted to but I could not let myself fall for Kadaj. He had geostigma of the brain. That was after all what made you a remnant, an avatar of Sephiroth carrier of the Jenova gene. I was different or at least I could keep telling myself that. I took my katana off of my belt and leaned it against the wall next to my bed. I dreamt of him.

My phone woke me up from my dream. It was Yazoo, apparently they needed ot meet with me. I dressed quickly and left. Black leather boots, black leather pants, a black shirt and a black duster. I threaded my sword through my belt. I didn't know what to expect so I went prepared for anything.

When I got there, I was just in time to see Kadaj giving what seemed to be a sermon to a bunch of kids riddled with geostigma. I started at him, he knew I was watching he kept glancing at me. The children didn't seem to notice me. I recognized Marlene.

"Mother has given me a very special gift the gift to fight…." he was very charismatic "Now I shall heal you" I tilted my head to the side as I watched him wade into the water, it grew darker with each step he took, filling the very lake were we buried Aeris with the essence of Jenova.

"Do as I do" he was too charismatic. That was when I climbed the nearest tree and hid. The power I felt radiating off of him was too close to Sephiroth.

Not too soon after the low hum of a motor cycle could be heard in the near dead silence. The children were too quiet. Kadaj seemed pleased. That was of course util he noticed that it was cloud who was riding that motor cycle. I kept hidden watching as the kids hid in the trees only to jump out at the last moment. I wanted to help, Cloud that is, but he'd want to know why I was there.

I knew Cloud was going to lose. This was even before I had seen Kadaj fight. I had faith that he could take Yazoo and Loz separately but together… he was going to be over whelmed. I ended up watching as they fought, I had an internal conflict watching. I had to stop myself from jumping down.

When Cloud went against Kadaj I almost jumped out of the tree. He wasn't going to win, that was very easy to see, Kadaj was just too fast for him. It didn't take long for Kadaj to wear him out. As Cloud started to fall I jumped out of the tree, only to watch Vincent sweep down out of nowhere and take him away. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and I approached Kadaj.

"why did you call me here?" I had my hand on my sword. I half expected him to attack me next. He sheathed his sword and smiled.

"I am quite surprised that you actually came"

"Why did you have Yazoo call me Kadaj?"

"Because I wanted you to see… I wanted to impress you with Mother's powers"

"But Kids? Why children?"

"Because youth is most impressionable, especially dying youth"

"Then let Marlene go"

"And who might that be?" Kadaj seemed interested now.

"The child Loz has… tell him to let her go"

"Or what?" he leaned towards me. I drew my sword I could tell by the reaction on his face that my eyes had bled to gold "What are you?"

"The thing that even a nightmare fears" he swallowed and nodded to Loz. Marlene ran.

"I never told Yazoo to call…" he walked away leaving me with Loz and Yazoo. There was a reason I never sheathed my sword. I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Now…" I smiled "Yazoo… Loz… you have choice" I took a deep breath and loosened my wrists twirling the sword around "You have a choice, and that choice would be life or death…" the looked at each other.

"We aren't going to fight you…" Yazoo said as he watched me.

"Of course not.. Mother wouldn't like it" I said smiling as I sheathed my sword. I turned on my heels and left.

When I got back to my apartment someone was already there, sitting on my couch. I knew who it was before I turned on the lights. So I saw no need to turn the lights on yet, I took off my coat and took my gloves of first, then I washed my hands as face in the bathroom sink. My post dealing with clients ritual. I grabbed a towel and started drying my face.

"I would ask you how you got in but I doubt that's relevant, so why are you here Kadaj?" he jumped when I said his name.

"Mother wants Sephiroth, not me…" he seemed distant.

"I've known that from the beginning… Which is why I'm here, helping you… because only I can bring Sephiroth's final end"

"you want to kill me?"

"Oh no, Kadaj.. I can't do it now.. I would hesitate too much, I dare say I'm attracted to you now" I laughed it sounded so silly to me..

"Then you're not going? So why help us now?"

"Because-"

"Cloud" I just nodded "We'll Cloud will never beat Sephiroth…"

"Kadaj… he did it before"

"Well not this time… Mother will see to that, he had the stigma"

"I know"

"And that leaves us where Seraphim"

"You have no need for me now"

"yes I do" he grabbed my hand

"Why? Your goal is to turn into something I dispise… and also to bring about the end of the world"

"Why can't you just think about now!" I stared into those amazing eyes and shook my head. _'Poor little remnant'_

"I want you to know why you are doing all of this.. You have goodtime of the brain.. That's why you want all of this.." I snatched my had back "Jenova's cells have corrupted your mind… that is how you know what she wants… with out it I would probably be very interested in pursing this… but" I made a sweeping gesture with my hand. He stared at me.

"Seraphim… I need you… Before I turn into Sephiroth atleast give me a kiss" I glanced at him and for a moment I saw what he would have been without the stigma, with out Jenova's influence. I sighed before I leaned in and kissed his lips.

"I'm sorry Kadaj.. " I took my sword from my belt and leaned it against the wall next to my bed. "I really am" I took my boots off. He watched me intently" when you leave lock the door"

I went to slee. I dreamt of Sephiroth. I had killed him, impaled him on my sword like he had Aeris. Only as I stared at him he started to turn into Kadaj. I sat straight up in bed covered in sweat. Kadaj was gone. There was a kind of racket going on outside. I looked out of my window. There was a large crowd gathered around the monument. And I could see Loz and Yazoo, but no Kadaj. I got dressed and grabbed my sword. When I looked outside again I was able to watch as Bahamut was summoned from a near by building that was under heavy construction.

"Holy shit" I said right before I hurried to get dressed.

By the time I got down to street level I was just in time to have everyone pass me on their bikes. I quickly hopped on mine and followed. I was a few minutes behind the, I had to be there…. Every part of me wanted to be there.

I knew where they were going. Midgar. It was really the only place to go on the highway they turned on to. The explosion of fire works shocked me a little, I still rode right through it. Passing Yazoo and Loz. When I caught up to them they were already sliding down the barrier the only thing I was sure of was that Kadaj had Jenova. I was not happy about that, but I should have been overjoyed, should have. A week ago I would have been ecstatic, but this was not last week.

I felt when Aeris made it rain. It made me feel refreshed, lighter. When I got to the church, I knew I had missed them when I noticed the pooled water on the floor.

"_They're at the top plate_" Aeris' voice echoed in my head. I nodded

"Thank you" I whispered before I sped off.

It was odd but I was starting to feel kind of frustrated in this game of catch up. Chasing people was not something that I was used to doing. Especially through Midgar, with only go knows what lurking through the debris. If I was lucky Sephiroth would be the most of my worries.

When I could finally see them Kadaj was hanging from the ledge and the only thought in my head was 'damn that was fast'. I nearly screamed though when he threw the bock container and jumped. I could feel it was Jenova. And I felt it even more as Kadaj joined with her I felt cold all over, and I shivered. I almost cried when I saw Sephiroth jumped to the roofs above the plate. I was confused. I didn't know which way I wanted the battle to go. I wanted Sephiroth dead, but I wanted Kadaj alive. I didn't look at the last part of the battle, I was too busy trying to get to the roof top with them. I made it just in time to see Kadaj in Cloud's arms. I pursed my lips. When he reached out I took his hand.

"No, You don't get to take him" I said softly as I used my connection to the ancients to will him to stay. He did however pass out. I looked at Cloud. "I'll make sure this never happens again"

"Okay, Seraphim… if you say so" Cloud handed me his body. I took Kadaj and carried him back to my back in a firemen's carry. As soon as we left the building there was an explosion above. Poor Cloud. I put Kadaj over the back of my bike and rode home.


	3. Conflicted

My name is Seraphim and I am conflicted, the last of a dead breed if you can consider me an ancient that is. I'm not fully an ancient, I am an experiment gone horribly wrong. Or not so horribly wrong if you pair me up against all of the other projects that Gast and Hojo had go horribly wrong. I'm not the badest bouncing baby to come from that brood. I looked down at Kadaj whose body was near to lifeless. He hadn't woken up yet and I hadn't dared to use a phoenix down on him. He almost died, he could be a zombie. Upon the long and tedious drive back to Edge City I had a lot of time to think, and now as I sat in my tiny apartment watching him I knew that I Seraphim had probably done something wrong.

Yazoo and Loz were not dead, and they wouldn't be too happy with the fact that I had taken Kadaj from their happy little brood. I pursed my lips and stared at him, all this trouble I was throwing myself into and all for a boy. I shook my head and stood. _Seraphim you are losing it._ I did know however that I had a mission after Kadaj woke up. I had to talk him into coming with me to find the remaining pieces of Jenova, and destroy them. So this would never happen again. When they were beaten they simply died, but the head of Jenova, that was dead too. So that meant that Yazoo and Loz could still be turned into Sephiroth. That was something I didn't want to happen at all.

I walked into the bathroom and started running a bath. I took off my clothes; all the leather was stifling with the steam from the water. I then closed the door and started to sink into the water. Then my phone rang.

"Of course" I hissed stepping out of the water and quickly pulling on a t-shirt and panties. I grabbed my phone from the small table next to the bed and answered it.

"Hello?" no one had any reason to call I was confused.

"You… have… brother" I recognized Yazoo's voice his voice was strained he must have been hurt. I pursed my lips and glanced back at Kadaj passed out on my bed.

"And you have silver hair… now captain obvious tell me why it's relevant" I smiled slightly while I said it.

"We need ….Kadaj… you should… give him back"

"Or what… you'll hobble in here and I'll be forced to kill you? I think not, I don't want stray bullets all over my apartment. Go away for a while Yazoo, heal… patch up Loz let him cry on your shoulder… and then we'll let Kadaj decide and if he makes the wrong decision then it will come to that, but not now… it's too soon and the race has yet to begin…so don't let your chocobo out of the stable yet" I flipped my phone closed and set it back on the table. I knew they weren't going to be happy with this. I knew in a few days that I was going to have to call Cloud and ask for help, I looked at Kadaj and I hoped that he was worth all of the trouble that he was going to cause me.

I went back to my bath and soaked for what seemed like hours. I was sick of having so many situations that I could not solve with violence. It was making me tense, that was why I was soaking in the tub. Slowly but surely I was lulled into sleep by the tinkling of rain drops on my window.

I had a terrible dream. Yazoo found Jenova's heart and became Sephiroth. I was the only one there to fight him, and it went horribly wrong. He kept bombarding me with attacks not giving me enough time to do anything. In the end I suffered the fate of Aeris, impaled on Masamune.

I woke up with a start. I was getting sick of my dreams. I dried off and changed back into my clothes. In the main room Kadaj was still passed out. I went over to my small pack that was on the floor and picked out a Phoenix Down. I opened the bottle and sprinkled the fine dust over Kadaj's head. He started shifting and moving instantly.

"M-Mother?" his voice came out rasped and whisper quiet.

"No Kadaj, it's me" I set the bottle on the table and put my hands on my hips.

"Seraphim," he smiled, "where am I?" he sat up slowly rubbing his head

"You're at my place… and we need to talk about Jenova…" he looked at me and furrowed his brows a bit.

"Why do you need to talk about her?"

"You need to understand that I saved your life, first I want you to understand that I could have let you go into the lifestream and be done with you"

"But you didn't, you saved me… I guess you did really care for me after all"

"Yes, Kadaj… but either you join me in finding and destroying Jenova or I kill you now and then destroy Yazoo and Loz and then go after Jenova" he stared at me. I unsheathed my sword "I am serious"

"I suppose you are...serious, I will help you… but don't expect me to go against Loz or Yazoo" I sheathed my sword and narrowed my eyes at him… I didn't trust that answer, it was too quick.

"Why so fast?"

"I have grown quite fond of you, of course, you will trust me.. I will make sure you trust me" he leaned towards me and then stood. I took a step back. Something about him unsettled me. He laughed. "Oh, don't worry… I won't bite, unless… you ask me to" and then he grinned like the cat that ate the canary and stood up towering over me… effortlessly. I am after all short at 5'3", it is quite easy to tower over me. "You know you never answered my question before right?"

"What question is that?" I asked as I turned my back on him and put my sword back up against the wall.

"What are you?" the world flowed from his lips effortlessly as he kind of hobbled around my tiny apartment looking for something. Phoenix Down only kind of heals you after all.

"I am..." I hung my head and shoot it a little this was going to be harder than it should have been "I was born an ancient, then a few days later after professor Hojo killed my parents with experiments I was injected with Jenova cells, also I underwent mako radiation therapy," I laughed "So when I should have been cuddled and cared for I was poked and prodded so excuse my lack of compassion for the human condition… what I am I don't know, I am I suppose closer to what Jenova was than Sephiroth, I did get more of her gene's than he did but… apparently I am not as susceptible to Jenova's influence as he was or you are for that matter" I looked at him for a moment still hobbling about searching. "What are you looking for?"

"My sword"

"It's in Midgar somewhere…we'll go look for it when the rain stops"


	4. A Cleansing Rain

It rained for days, on the last day Kadaj and I stood on the roof of my building and looked over Edge to Midgar. It was funny that I had lived there for mostly my entire life, and I had no fond memories, I had a few here but not many. I stuck my tongue out and tasted the rain. It was salty, and very familiar tasting, it wasn't like rain at all. I closed my eyes and remembered, it tasted like the lifestream. I looked over at Kadaj, he seemed uneasy in the rain, it smoked as it touched his skin but still he stood next to me looking over the city.

"Somewhere out there is the rest of Jenova," I turned and looked at him. He was staring out at the City he seemed almost in a trance like state. "Kadaj? Are you okay?"

"I am okay I guess, I just keep thinking… I should be dead right now, but I'm not, in a few days I have managed to completely change my objectives" he turned his head to me and smiled a very small smile "I can't help but to think that we are going to go kill Mother… Jenova" he shook his head and laughed. The rain slowly but surely started to let up.

"In a few days Yazoo and Loz will be looking for me, and the possibly for Jenova… we can't stay here" I started for the steps he turned around and looked at me.

"I really don't know if I can help you against them… they are my Brothers"

"They maybe your brothers Kadaj, but with all of Cloud's Materia they are going to be very hard not to fight" I headed down the stairs and shortly after heard Kadaj's footsteps following. This was not going to be an easy next couple of days, if I survived it all gathering and destroying all of the pieces of Jenova wasn't going to be any easier. I was starting to think that I was complicating things on purpose.

"They really are my brothers you know… Loz and Yazoo" I stopped and looked up at him. I didn't have the heart to say that I thought he was a Sephiroth clone, who spouted out about Reunion. The only problem was that Yazoo, Loz and Kadaj were not like the others; they could think on their own, they looked well enough to not hide under the black capes. "I remember being in Nibelheim vaguely, but I don't remember much" he passed me on the stairs because I of course ended up being too shocked to move.

"We have to go pay Rufus Shinra a visit" I practically ran down the stairs.

"why?"

"He knows where the rest of Jenova is… that was the real reason they were trying to get her head first"

"How do you know?"

"I spied on them of course" I grinned and passed him. He laughed and tried to catch up.

"You are amazing"

"I try"

We left for Healin almost immediately. I took everything I could we weren't going to be back for a while. We had to find the rest of Jenova, and only Rufus really had any clue where the pieces were. He was desperate to try and restore the Shinra name, which was why they paid for the monument, and if they could figure out how to zap the endless energy inside of Jenova into some type of power supply then they would be in business once again. Rufus shinra was quite two faced, and very much so like his father, good faith until money prevails. Now we were heading to see him and quite possibly beat a confession out of him. Something told me that this trip was going to be full of unpleasant surprises. We didn't know it yet but surprise number one waited for us at the detour we were forced to take to retrieve Kadaj's sword.


	5. To Each Their Own

This is how Midgar will always look, desolated, dilapidated an eyesore on a rather nice and pristine continent. The buildings were looking even worse for ware after the encounter Cloud had with Sephiroth here. We stopped at the top plate. I got off my bike and looked around. At my feet was the black container that once held Jenova's head. Kadaj's bent down and picked it up. He examined it as though it was his first time really seeing it, he tossed it aside after a moment.

I glimpsed something shiny on the ground not too far away. That was when I noticed the rumblings. There was something here besides us. I kept walking though, not too much I could do if something wanted to hop out of the rubble at us. I was confident that Kadaj could handle himself even without his sword. I bent over and picked it up and that was when the damn thing jumped out at me. I t was huge, and purple with a red tuft of hair with massive curving horns like a ram, it also had a yellow and green fin on it's back, looking like something in between an over grown wolf and a dragon. It was a Behemoth and it was way out of it's normal haunts which would be about Sector 8, and this was not sector 8.

No matter how many times it happens you never get used to having huge beasts appear out of almost no where. I jumped backwards landing softly next to Kadaj, I handed him his sword and stared at the thing. I need to be careful what I wish for next time, this was a problem that I could definitely solve by fighting. I considered just leaving for a moment, and then I figured what the hell.

I unsheathed my katana and rushed it. I left a lot more relaxed fighting with the monster every time my sword connected with it's flesh I felt lighter, happier even. Fighting was something that I had become accustomed to. I unlike the rest of them never stopped fighting, I never stopped going on adventures after we had dispatched Sephiroth. It took about a year to get me to finally calm down enough to get my place.

The animal barely had a chance to attack me really. I ended up driving my blade between it's ribs within moments. As the monster turned into the sinewy neon green tendrils that we know to be the lifestream I felt more relieved than I had in a while. Kadaj was staring at me as I bent over to pick up the 300 gil that it had dropped.

"Now we can go to Healin" I laughed, and that was when the ground really started to shake, it shook so much that my bike fell over. They sky grew dark too quickly for it to be more rain. Someone was summoning something, I could feel the magic on my skin.

"What is that" Kadaj tilted his head to the side and watched as the enormous skeleton swathed in black robes appeared. It was the summon Hades, one of Clouds Summon's.

"That is a gift from your brothers… isn't it a nice time to get the fuck out of here sign" I picked up my bike and got on, Kadaj soon followed. Needless to say we got the fuck out of there as fast as we possibly could.

"Why would they do that?"

"I think Yazoo hates me… that would be the only thing that makes any sense"

"I'm sorry about my brothers" he wrapped his arms around me. I glanced back at him for a moment.

"I don't know why… you have nothing to be sorry for"

I hated Healin. I couldn't stand the place for more than a few hours at a time, it smelled like disease, covered up by the smell of grass and sunshine. It was also too green for my liking. The green foliage was heavy from the freshly fallen rain and it clung to its sent which made it slightly more bearable. We walked up the stairs to the lodge where Rufus had been staying, our steps were in sync and we walked side by side.

I opened the door and was greeted by Reno and Rude looking as cartoonish as ever. I smiled a little and took a few steps in and Kadaj followed. Their faces changed completely when they saw him.

"Where's Rufus?" I asked as I drew my katana, Reno kept looking between Kadaj and I. Kadaj looked at me.

"I believe he's reminiscing about the beat I gave them both earlier" Kadaj laughed.

"Well then I think you should maybe give him a walk down memory lane" I pushed passed Reno, who wasn't able to say a word as Kadaj near to instantly attacked him.

I walked down the hall off to the side of the main room. Looking at all of the Shinra banners made my stomach want to lurch. I heard Rufus' muffled voice coming from behind a closed door. I tried to open it but it was locked.

"Reno I'm busy" Rufus called from the room. I laughed and kicked the door open.

"So sorry but Reno is indisposed at the moment" I giggled. He quickly hung up the phone and stood drawing a gun. "Oh you and I both know that won't work… Where are the rest of the pieces" I held my sword level with his throat, a quick lunge and he was dead.

"I have no clue what you are talking about" his words were unsure, almost a stutter.

"You sir are a horrible liar" Kadaj spoke from behind me. "You know exactly what we are talking about"

"What happened Seraphim? I thought you didn't hear the call of the Jenova cells" Rufus grinned

"You know exactly why I need to find the pieces, Rufus" I sheathed my sword

"We want Jenova just as dead as you do, that's why you should let us do the work Seraphim… we have resources you couldn't dream of" I pulled a tape recorder out of my pocket and pressed play.

"_Have you found the head yet… Do you know where the rest of her is? We need those pieces I'll have Tseng and Elenya look tomorrow… are you sure it's in the northern cave?... good after we have acquired the head you will get your money and I want the rest of the locations… this will put Shinra back on the map_" I pressed stop.

"Where are the rest of the pieces?" I narrowed my eyes

"You'll never get there on time"

"Oh but sir, haven't you noticed… that doesn't really matter" Kadaj chimed in. Rufus sighed and sat down.

"The heart's in Nibelhiem in the Shinra Mansion, the left arm is somewhere in the forgotten city and the legs are near Gongaga… but as I said before you'll never get there before they do"

"And what about the rest?" I put my hands on my hips

"Who knows where the other parts of Jenova are… no one can locate the rest"

"If you are lying I will kill you and your precious Turks like I should have two years ago"

We left shortly after being careful not to step on an incapacitated Reno or Rude. Kadaj seemed very pleased with himself as we walked down the stairs. He seemed almost dare I say happy. I smiled at him and he shook his head.

"I wonder what will happen in Nibelhiem" his voice came out small it didn't match the expression on his face

"What do you mean?"

"I wonder if I'll remember more about my past" I stared at him and the smile dropped from my face.

"Something's are better left unknown Kadaj, You might learn something that will change everything"

"Maybe but I want to learn it regardless… it's kind of hard not being able to remember my childhood"

"Hard as it maybe what you learn might be harder to cope with than that" he shrugged.

"I'm really not concerned with that, I would rather know" it was my turn to shrug before getting on my bike.

"to each their own"


	6. A Fragile Realization

The dreams didn't get better, they got all the more vivid with each one. I was suddenly no longer sure of things. A certain frailty is added to people's personalities when they actually realize that in their dreams they might be foreseeing their own demise. Vivid certain death every night, it was getting to the point where I didn't want to sleep. Kadaj noticed this when we were in Costa Del Sol. He started watching me more; I started to notice that I was too unsocial to actually work with other people. I was like that before but it had gotten worse apparently.

It all apparently came to a head that night while I was reading a book on my bed and Kadaj sat on his staring at me. I felt his eyes on me before I even looked up. I slowly put my book down and stretched.

"Is something wrong?" Kadaj asked with those neon eyes scanning me.

"Honestly?"

"That would be nice," he chuckled.

"I've been having dreams about Sephiroth since I met you… and they have been getting worse" I shook my head "I feel silly actually saying this"

"How worse… I was under the impression that you weren't afraid of him" he stood up and then sat down next to me. I scooted away from him and shook my head with a slight frown.

"Then you would have the wrong impression… just because you feel you should do something doesn't mean fate feels the same,"

"Do you really think that he could kill you?"

"I believe that anything is possible… I talk a good game" I laughed "But… in the face of things… I'll stand and fight but I know better than anyone else does that I am not invincible" he kissed my forehead. "Maybe the dreams are a sign that I shouldn't be doing this with you" I stood up and stretched again before yawning.

"Why?"

"Why? Because dearest Kadaj as much as I like you… you could still possibly be tempted by Jenova and I know, I couldn't go through with killing Sephiroth, if I knew that under the facade was you"

"I'm truly touched" He stood and pulled me into his arms "Don't worry Seraphim, I've been ignoring Mother, and I am going to keep ignoring Mother… at least you want me, she just wants Sephiroth," he smiled and cupped my chin in his hand making me look up into those amazing eyes. He leaned down and kissed me, it was a soft kiss the kind that only lasts a moment but means more than hours of making out. "If it comes down to it… and you die I will go against him" I swooned in his arms, feeling light headed and breathless all at the same time. He had changed my mood completely with a touch. I looked into his eyes, he was my weak spot. He managed to worm himself into my life and make himself the chink in my armor. Staring into those eyes made me realize that I couldn't do this with him.


	7. A Tiff On Mt Corel

What? Who? Me Run?... never… errr okay yeah. I left in the middle of the night while Kadaj slept in his bed. There was a few hundred gil on the table, more than enough for him to go where ever he pleased. Out side of the inn I opened my cell phone and looked through the numbers. I stopped on one and thought for a brief second. After a silent deliberation I pressed the call button.

"Strife Delivery Service you name it we deliver" Clouds voice was sleepy on the other end. I climbed on my bike.

"Cloud, we have a problem"

"Seraphim…" he didn't seem happy to hear from me "What type of problem could _we_ have?"

"A Sephiroth and Jenova problem" I started my bike and slowly but surely left the beachside city behind.

"Are you sure?"

"The other pieces of Jenova are still out there, Yazoo and Loz are after them which could spell big trouble"

"Look… I don't have time for this now, I have Marlene and Denzel to deal with… and Tifa…" his voice drifted off.

"Trouble in paradise?"

"I don't want to talk about it" he seemed angry but I let it go, his relationship with Tifa was something that I couldn't careless about.

"Okay… Do you have Vincent's number then?"

"Vincent doesn't own a phone"

"Why don't you seem to care that Sephiroth is going to rise again?" there was a lot of anger in my voice, I could almost guarantee the color of my eyes were gold now.

"You should be able to take him… you are the answer to Sephiroth" there was enough contempt in his voice that I could have walked on it.

"Fine… pout, sleep on the couch and do nothing, who knows in a few days time you may end up putting my sword on that hill next to Zaks, and then you can feel guilty and pout some more" I practically screamed into the phone. He was silent for a long time after my rant. "are you still there?"

"I'm here, where are you?" he sounded defeated. I smiled.

"On my way to Gongaga… I'm almost to north coral now"

"I'll see if the others want to help and we'll try to meet you there"

"Thanks Cloud, this means a lot"

"Don't thank me yet…" he paused "This isn't going to be as simple as it was with Kadaj is it?"

"No" as soon as I said it he sighed a big heavy sigh. "Shinra's involved again… Rufus apparently has been planning all along to try and reunite the Jenova pieces… he wants to try and use her to for power or weapons… either way"

"Either way it's not going to end pretty… now what Reno said makes sense"

"What did he say?"

"A few days before the stuff with Kadaj came to a head… Rufus Shinra wanted to see me... Reno said something about restoring Shinra to it's former glory" he laughed "Hey I'm going to let you go… I have to call everyone else… I'll call you back later and tell you who's coming"

"Okay" I closed my phone.

The drive to North Corel was too quiet for my liking. I felt guilty for leaving Kadaj. I shouldn't have left him without a note or anything. I stopped my bike when the sun started to rise. I looked over the lush landscape. It brought back a few memories from two years ago. I passed out on our way to North Corel and Cloud ended up carrying me the rest of the way there, joking about how I was a lot heavier than I looked, Aeris and I spoke often about our connection to the Cetra. I took a deep breath, I almost cried. I had lied before, I hadn't gotten over Aeris' death, I just bottled up my emotions. After all she was like me, the last living person that was the closest thing you could get to me. Unless of course you counted Sephiroth, but he wasn't really alive now was he. But Kadaj was, as was Yazoo and Loz, in some sick and twisted way they were the only people closest to what I was. My phone startled me from my train of thought; I didn't even look to see who it was before I answered.

"Hello?" I practically whispered as I sat on my bike and watched the sun peak over the mountains.

"Seraphim where are you?" Kadaj seemed frantic. Of all the times to not check my caller ID. I sighed; I didn't want to tell him that I had left him.

"Kadaj, I'm on my way to Gongaga" my voice was flat, I was fighting to keep emotion out of this conversation.

"But I thought that we were going together?" he seemed so confused.

"I left enough money so you can go where ever you want, I will call you after I'm done" I clicked my phone closed and started my bike again. Was I pushing him away because I enjoyed being miserable and alone. I was kind of getting used to my moodiness and antisocial behavior, I didn't need some boy to mess it all up for me. So short answer yes long answer no, I could go on a long tangent about how I made an irrational decision bringing a professed child of Jenova on a quest to find and kill Jenova, that would, however be a lie.

The sky grew dark almost instantly; I stopped my bike and looked around. I was near the train tracks from the old mine, and in the distance I could make out Yazoo standing shoulder to shoulder with Loz. His silver hair flying about as the wind grew stronger and those black clouds parted. I could almost make out the grin on his face. Running was not an option; I couldn't take what ever he was summoning with me to Corel. They had finally managed to rebuild. I didn't have any materia, so summoning something in response was out of the question. I drew my Katana and revved my bike. Suicide mission any one? Well actually that would all depend on what came from between those parted clouds, it was Odin. Fear settled into that nice spot in the pit of my stomach where it usually sits when ever I fight something alone, that isn't a random encounter.

"Where's Kadaj!" Yazoo yelled across the train yard. I stopped my bike only a few yards from where Odin sat high and proud a top his horse waiting for Yazoo to tell him to attack.

"Not here" my breathing quickened as I got off of my bike,

"Well I can see that Seraphim, but where is he?" as Yazoo's tranquil yet menacing voice floated to my ears I closed my eyes and tightened my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"Avoiding you apparently" my eyes opened, Yazoo's widened he seemed shocked and semi frightened by my golden snake eyes.

"Oh, so funny… too bad Mother doesn't care for you too much" With Yazoo's words Odin readied his sword. This was an ironic moment, I once said I would hate to be on the other end of Odin's attacks, and now I was. I took a deep breath and Jumped just in time to miss Odin's sword. Every attempt I made to attack failed horribly; every time I sliced he moved or met my blade with his.

I couldn't fight like this forever; I was successful at dodging Odin's attacks but only minutes in and without a single scratch on Odin I was starting to get tired. The bad thing was that a Summons never gets tired. I was bounced about like a ball, the fight was reminiscent of when Cloud fought Kadaj that first time. I didn't have any kind of edge at all, I was fast enough at dodging attacks but when it came to attacking I was always a second or two slow. Everybody knows that when you get tired you make mistakes. And my first mistake could have very easily been my last as Odin's sword connected with my side, it went all down hill from there, though a few of my attacks actually scratched him, I got my ass handed to me. Every time I got close he would punch me with that amazing force and I would loose vision for a moment, only to regain it with fractions of a second left to move. It didn't take long until Odin had me by the neck and I was staring into his skeletal eye sockets. However, what could have been my last moments weren't, instead of ripping my throat out, or something as equally horrible, he threw me against the side of the mountain like he wanted me to stick there. I didn't stick, but I did feel the world slipping away from me.

"Put her on the back of your bike, we'll wait till we have mother to figure out what to do" Yazoo's voice was the last thing I heard before I passed out.


	8. Promises Promises

I woke up on the coldest hardest ground you could imagine; I didn't even have a blanket around me. The first thought when I looked around the cave was Kadaj. I hoped that they hadn't gotten their hands on him. Then it slowly sunk in where I was and what was around me. I was in the cave by the crater where we found Lucrecia's soul two years ago. I could feel it still, someone who was unwilling to go back into the lifestream like a cold hand on my back. As I noticed what surrounded me my eyes went wide. I was lying in the midst of hundreds of beds. Also my pack, sword and jacket were nowhere to be found. My hands and ankles were tied as well so when Yazoo walked over to me I was virtually helpless.

"Mother speaks to me now, all because I captured you, she really doesn't like you Seraphim" he laughed "You took her precious Kadaj from her, I'm surprised that she doesn't want you dead now… Your fate will be decided by Sephiroth" he grabbed my hair and dragged me through the cave.

"What's with all the beds, Yazoo?"

"Oh you really don't know do you… the cult of Jenova, they are always happy to help us" The cult of Jenova had started sometime after we killed Sephiroth, it had grown but I wasn't expecting them to actually know anything about Jenova. They were all just Sephiroth enthusiasts who thought that he wasn't dead and that he would rise again with his mother and cleanse the planet, maybe I was wrong seeing as that was what was trying to happen.

"They all have the stigma don't they?"

"Impressive, too bad you will be dead in a matter of days" Yazoo threw me into the corner, I hit the wall hard, but not as hard as I had before. "Loz is out looking for mother as we speak"

"I know about Nibelhiem" this got Yazoo's attention. He tilted his head to the side letting his mass of silver hair fall over his shoulder.

"You know absolutely nothing" he picked me up by my neck and held me in the air. It was then that I saw the most disturbing thing ever, I saw Sephiroth in his eyes as I struggled to breath. It was then that his cell phone went off, it took me a moment but I did eventually notice that it was my ringer. Yazoo dropped me and then kicked me into the wall, I cried out when I made contact with the hard rock. He smiled when he looked at the caller Id on my phone. "I'll be sure to tell Kadaj you say hello" he flipped my phone open "Brother… we need to talk… oh she's here… yes she's alive… only until Sephiroth comes… Mother said so… yes she talks to me now too… you've been ignoring her Kadaj, Mother doesn't like to be ignored… you want to talk to her? What ever for?" he chuckled "... And all along we thought your will was Mothers…Poor Kadaj, now I know why mother sacrificed you" he closed the phone and walked a few steps before he turned around and cast sleep on me. I went slack immediately.

I hate my dreams, I would rather never dream again then to have one dream amidst a million nightmares. This time I was on my knees with my hands tied behind my back. There was a coarse rope tied around my neck and someone was pulling it tight. I was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people. I could hear the cheers.

"For their Crimes against Mother, they are to be punished as Mother has seen fit, to die by the hands of Sephiroth" It was Loz's voice, I soon saw boots and I knew who it was standing in front of me, I knew it even before I saw the gleam of Masamune out of the corner of my eye. Sephiroth. I turned my head to the side and saw Kadaj next to me, tied in the same manner, struggling to get free, Sephiroth swung Masamune down and decapitated Kadaj with easy, his head rolled over closer to me and landed face up. I looked into those dead eyes and started to cry. I screamed and that was when Sephiroth swung Masamune again.

I opened my eyes to find Kadaj standing over me shaking me awake. He smiled when our eyes met. I could see that next to him he had my sword and pack. We didn't say a word to each other, and I was glad because I knew if I did I was going to start crying. He helped me stand only for me to find out that I could barely walk. He threaded my Sword through my belt for me and then flipped me over his shoulder. We walked right out the front door, no conflicts no nothing which could mean only one thing, Loz had found Jenova.

When we were outside of the cave I got a good look at Kadaj's face, I was trying to see Sephiroth like I had seen in Yazoo's face. It took a few minutes but I saw it, Sephiroth looked out from his eyes with a grin. Mother smother, it was Sephiroth who spoke to them, the voice of Sephiroth was a powerful thing to those with Jenova cells… except for me apparently.

"We have to get out of here before they come back" Kadaj said as he put me down.

"Where did they go?"

"Loz was sent to follow the Turks; apparently the Turks and Loz had a little run in with Cloud, they weren't too far from here so we need to leave now" I nodded and got on the bike Kadaj got on behind me and put his hands on the handle's "I don't want you to pass out and cause us to crash"

We didn't stop until we reached North Corel. I didn't ask him how long I had been out for, I didn't want to know. The idea of missing days angered me, then again so did the idea of having to be rescued I did not like the damsel in distress deal, that wasn't me at all, when I haven't been thrown into a wall several times of course. A thought popped into my head.

"Kadaj, we need to buy Materia"

"I already did that, we also already have a room at the inn here" there was a bit of amusement in his voice.

"How hard is it to ignore Jenova's call?" I asked right as he stopped the bike, he stared at me for a moment, and turned his back.

"Harder than anything you could possibly imagine, it's like being on fire and trying not to burn… if anyone can do it I can" he turned back around and helped me off of the bike.

North Corel was a lot brighter than it used to be, it wasn't scattered with junk and all the tents were gone, replaced by new stone buildings. The one time I saw Barrett after we fought Sephiroth he said it was starting to look like it used to. I never really thought about it until now. Destroying Sephiroth the first time was some sort of catalyst that brought the whole world together again, and righted a lot of wrongs. These thoughts filled my mind as Kadaj helped me up the stairs to our room.

He opened the door for me to reveal one bed in the whole room. One large bed, I stared at it for a moment and was afraid to cross the threshold. I didn't want to sleep in the same bed with him, again. I looked at him and he cracked a grin.

"It was all they had," he tried to look innocent and failed, Kadaj was many things but his eyes always told on him when he tried to act innocent, there was nothing innocent in those eyes. I entered the room and closed the door behind me.

"Oh, now where are you going to sleep" I laid down on the bed and stretched my whole body hurt. He lay down beside me and stroked my cheek while he propped himself up on his elbow.

"Right here" he smiled a very dark and sinister smile.

"Get that idea out of your head now, I'm in pain and bruised to high hell, I am many things at this moment, sexy isn't one of them." He leaned over and kissed me. I rolled out of the bed, I pulled a muscle in the process and ended up crawling on my stomach to the bathroom. He turned the water on for me and sat on the side of the tub. He took off his gloves, and that made me notice one thing, I had never seen him without his whole get up on. He had long slender fingers that made him look like he would have been good at playing piano. Then he started to unzip his shirt and I looked away he laughed as he pulled off his shirt and set it on the sink, he set his gloves neatly on top and put his sword against the sink.

I got a glimpse of the tattoo on his arm as I tried to pull myself on the tub. Kadaj laughed because my eyes went wide but they went wide for a reason much different than what he was thinking. I knew that font I knew what that number meant. The number 3 was perfectly tattooed on his arm, I looked up at him. I could say ha I knew it you're a clone. The number was different, not the same as the other clones,

"Where did you get that?" I pointed to the tattoo,

"Oh this, I've had it as long as I can remember, Yazoo and Loz have one too, Loz is 1 and Yazoo is 2" He stared at it for a while and then shook his head. "You know what it means don't you" I just stared at him and nodded.

"You're a clone… I think"

"You think" he suddenly looked sad

"The only clones of Sephiroth I have ever come in contact with couldn't put two sentences together… all most all of them ever said was Reunion and Jenova" I shrugged "You're probably not a clone, but that is a Shinra tattoo" I lifted the sleeve of my t-shirt and showed him mine. _Seraphim-1_ was tattooed with the Shinra font on my shoulder. He reached out and touched it; there was a small smile on his face once again. He turned the water off and helped me to my feet.

"Are you going to be able to get undressed or do you need help"

"No I'm good"

"I'm going to stay in here and make sure you don't fall and drown" I nodded and he walked over and sat down on the toilet lid. I turned my back on him but I knew he was watching me undress, I could feel his eyes. I shook my head, he was a clone, my suspicions were true, he was a clone, and still. I looked over my shoulder at him. He was staring at me. I shook my head again and kicked my clothes into a pile and got into the tub. The hot water felt so good on my skin.

"Hey, Kadaj"

"Hmm?" he stood and walked the few feet over and knelt beside the tub.

"What do you remember? About your past,"

"Not a whole lot, it's all so hazy… what about your past Seraphim"

"I was borne in Shinra labs, Doctor Gast was studying both of my parents, and they were both Cetra… my father died in an experiment before I was borne, my mother died weeks after... I was injected with Jenova cells they were trying to recreate the Sephiroth experiment, they called it project Seraphim. This all when I was not even a week old, I underwent several treatments of Mako radiation therapy just like they do to Soldier candidates, but this was all before I was old enough to talk. I trained with both the Turks and Soldier, and that was my life until I turned eighteen, then I contacted Sephiroth and helped him get Jenova so he could get me out. Once I was out I ran into Cloud and then well I helped them kill Sephiroth, my life hasn't been that exciting" I laughed and grinned.

"At least you have something to say I can't remember most of my past"

"Sometimes the past isn't meant to be remembered, sometimes we're meant to make the most of the present" I kissed him softly. He pulled away.

"I'm going to lay down, tomorrow we're leaving for Gongaga right?" he stood.

"Yeah, after I call Cloud of course"

"Cloud?"

"Yeah, Cloud is supposed to, help us… for all I know they've already been to Gongaga" he shook his head.

"Oh no, I would have felt it… I have a connection to mother that's greater than my brothers" I nodded and got out of the tub. He seemed mesmerized by my body, I was one of those people who was too comfortable nude. I wrapped the towel around me and stretched my body felt much better, I got dressed again and grabbed a potion out of my bag and drank it.

"Much better"

"You aren't going to leave me again are you?" the statement took me by surprised I faced him.

"Kadaj, I promise I will never leave you again"


	9. A Walk Down Memory Lane

I gazed at Kadaj as he slept. He looked so peaceful, so innocent. I sat up with my knees to my chest resting my head on my knees. As I sighed I let all the thoughts of running leave my body. I needed to leave, and as much as I liked Kadaj I didn't really truly trust him. It was Sephiroth that did it, seeing him lurking behind those cat eyes, it was unnerving. I couldn't shake it, seeing him there was so disturbing.

A lot of it went back to before, when he first woke… he told me he could help me, that we needed to join together, I turned him down then. Now he stared at me from behind Kadaj's eyes, offering help once again. Knowing that the possibility that he could be a clone was there, it was disturbing.

I got out of bed and stretched, my back was throbbing I wasn't going anywhere for days apparently. I looked out of the window and tried to think about my childhood. It came in bits and pieces like a bad movie. I remembered Sephiroth when I was young. Every now and then he would show himself around the president. Somehow I couldn't remember the other experiments, though I knew I had to have been around them. I also knew I wasn't the only child experimented on.

I knew there were others because there had to have been. I was born at the crest of the experimentation period. When Hojo went crazy with it, I vaguely remembered there being others, there had to have been. That was the only way to explain Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj.

I reasoned that they couldn't be clones they were far too intelligent. They had thoughts of their own, wills of their own. Kadaj stirred in his sleep and I stood. I pulled my clothes on and decided I needed to go for a walk. I needed to be alone. I needed to walk, I penned a quick not to Kadaj and grabbed my sword before heading out of the door quietly.

My long black coat billowed around me in the cool night breeze as I walked slowly around the newly rebuilt North Corel. It was funny to think now, that two years ago I was an angry withdrawn child really the first time I walked these streets. They looked so different to me now, but I could still see it. I could still see all of us walking into town slowly. Chasing the man in the black coat Sephiroth, a ghost. I could still hear the taunts they directed at Barret and I could feel the confusion seep into me that Shinra could be responsible for something as bad as the burning of a town.

Now however, I knew exactly what the Shinra was capable of, I knew then, but I had repressed a lot. Maybe that was how I managed not to hear the cries of Jenova, I was dodging my own demons. Now I had sought out my demon, and he was sleeping in a room, in a bed that we had shared. This all because I was so sure, so sure that others could break the hold of Jenova, and he had the power to do it. That power, that scary power that was lurking under the surface, that power that screamed Sephiroth. I sighed and sat on the curb. My back was starting to feel better the pain that was there before was starting to turn into a dull ache. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and for a moment, a brief moment I heard it, I heard _her_. Her voice in my head, apparently she was trying very hard to reach me. I drowned Jenova's call out with my own over analyzing.

As long as I didn't think about it I could pretend it never happened, pretend that she couldn't touch me. Pretend that it was nothing even though my skin was cold and had broken out in goose flesh.

My mind was so caught up in the fact that I heard her for a moment that I didn't hear someone come up behind me. The hand that landed firmly on my shoulder shocked me, made me even colder inside. I spun around so fast I almost lost footing, no one got that much of a drop on me. I almost never let it happen. I was relieved when I looked up to find Vincent looking down at me, that in and of itself explained a lot.

"You heard her," his voice was as deep and as cold as ever

"Heard who?" I replied with a smile as I crossed my arms.

"Jenova," I looked away, "I remember that look on your face, you look terrified,"

"Because I am terrified, happy?" I forced my eyes to meet his

"No, Shinra has the piece of Jenova,"

"Damn,"

"We got there too late, luckily so did Loz,"

"Where are the others?"

"On their way to Niebelheim,"

"Good… I don't think Yazoo knows where she is, I think he's only going off of what he's gleaned from Kadaj's leaning on the Shinra,"

"Do you think it was wise bringing Kadaj in on this?"

"As wise as I could possibly be, why?"

"He is infected with Jenova, he is the embodiment of the stigma," I narrowed my eyes and turned around.

"And so am I!" I yelled as I started to walk away.

"Seraphim," I stopped and turned around. "Keep an eye on him, make sure you're not biting off more you can chew," With a flourish of his cape he was gone, and I was stuck staring back at him with my lips pursed so hard they almost hurt.


	10. So Similar

Kadaj found me. I was standing at the edge of town looking over the horizon and he found me. I was holding myself gazing over the horizon, the plus side was that my back didn't hurt at all. The down side was the look on his face, the sheer and utter worry that creased his brow. I knew he approached, I knew and I didn't even have to turn around. I felt him, something had happened, something very bad had happened. I turned around still hugging myself and frowned.

"Something's happened," I said softly as I raised my eyes to his. Something was wrong, his pupils were serpentine, and the green had intensified.

"I know," he spoke softly and slowly, "I felt it,… mother… something's wrong," he was looking around, almost like he was conflicted, and then he raised his eyes to meet mine and I saw Sephiroth behind his eyes again. I almost jumped out of my skin.

It was that moment when, something happened. Something bad happened, I felt it first queasiness in the pit of my stomach. Then that black cloud happened again, the cloud of stigma. It was so powerful that it lifted him into the air and he was limp like ragdoll. I swallowed hard and reached out to my faint connection with the cetra, I reached out with the same power I had used before to keep Kadaj alive the first time to do it again. I felt faint as the neon green tendrils of life stream broke out of the ground and swirled about me, I braved the black cloud as I forced my way through towards him as the lifestream around me encircled it, keeping the infection of Jenova from spreading.

Pulling him down was a deep struggle, more of a struggle than containing the great cloud. Tears streaked my face, as my hair, and coat whipped about me as I struggled to pull him down. It took a while but I got a hold on his legs and pulled him down. As I slowly pulled him from the cloud I noticed the reaction between the cloud and the lifestream. It smoked, and as I pulled more and more of Kadaj into my shield of lifestream, I noticed he smoked too, but it was faint, fainter than it had been before with the rain.

The cloud dissipated almost instantly when I had him in my arms inside of my shield of lifestream. He had passed out, and as the shield of lifestream left me I felt myself drift out of consciousness. My body went totally limp, the last thing I saw was Kadaj's eyes almost flutter open.

The good thing was that when I woke up I didn't hurt, in fact I felt more rested and refreshed than I had in a while. However being relaxed and at peace didn't stop me from freaking out when I finally opened my eyes to Kadaj staring at me from inches away. All I saw was those wonderful green eyes, serpent eyes, however not as serpentine as my own. The weird thing was that I didn't freak out; I simply rolled over and looked around. It took a moment for me to realize that this was not the room in North Corel. It also took me a moment to realize that I was in my underwear, and that Kadaj wasn't wearing his normal black leather get up.

"You've been out for days," he said as he sat up, I slowly turned back over and looked at him.

"How many days?"

"Three," I hit the bed beside me.

"Damn!" I got up and walked around, it took a moment but I knew where we were. I knew this room, I looked out of the small window at the town square below. Niebelheim, the site of the biggest Shinra cover-up in history. They replaced an entire town with Shinra employees. I looked back at Kadaj, who was still lying in bed with his head propped up on his hand. It made me think for a moment that maybe just maybe there was more to that cover up then they wanted known.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything." He said in his normal playful tone as he sat up. He was wearing only boxer's. Great, just great. I turned away to hide my blushed cheeks. "The other's are here, but there's no sign of Loz or Yazoo, let alone the Shinra," I felt him walk over and pause a few steps behind me "I think they have their hands full with each other," I barely heard him as I stared out of the window, something didn't feel right, I had an urge. The urge was to get dressed and run to the mansion. I shook my head and looked at Kadaj, "You feel her too… Jenova… she's calling us you know," I turned around.

"I thought you were ignoring her" I spoke quickly before I glimpsed my pack in the corner and quickly headed over to it.

"Just because I ignore mother doesn't mean I don't hear her," he smiled and I frowned and walked back over to him quickly. I seized him by his shoulders and looked up into his eyes.

"She is not your mother!" I yelled at him before I pushed him back and went over to my pack looking for my clothes. I started to realize the big difference between myself and everyone else who went through circumstances so similar. I knew my mother wasn't Jenova, I knew I had both a mother and a father who more than likely loved me before Shinra disposed of them.

"Fine, just because I ignore Jenova, doesn't mean I don't hear her," he sounded angry, I grabbed my clothes out of my pack and turned around. He was sitting on the bed and he looked thoroughly pissed off. There was a tension that sat in his powerful shoulders. I dressed quickly as I watched him.

After I was dressed I walked back over to the bed and stood in front of Kadaj. I smiled a small smile and leaned in and kissed his lips softly, at first he didn't kiss me back, however I stood there my lips pressed to his and he eventually kissed back running his tongue over my lips making me shiver like I had sat in a pile of snow. I pulled back and knelt before him between his knees.

"I care for you Kadaj, Jenova uses people, she tries to use anyone who's been infected with her essence to her means, most of the times it drives people insane," I sighed "Sephiroth, and you to a lesser extent, she tries so hard to get into my head, she's the reason why all of the clones were mindless for the most part, mother's are supposed to love you unconditionally Kadaj, they aren't supposed to use you," I put my hand on his chest and kissed his lips quickly before I stood.

"Seraphim, she's the only one who's ever made me feel wanted, until now, until you," his voice was soft and it lost most of his normal playful tone. I looked at him and smiled.

"I never felt warm or wanted before you" I trialed off and went to my pack. I took out my laptop and plugged it into the wall.

"What are you doing?" he stood and walked over to me.

"I am hacking into Shinra files," I spoke as I furiously tapped away at the keyboard, cracking firewalls and security protocol that was two years out dated.

"I thought that Shinra computer files were destroyed with the mako cannon," he stood over my shoulder watching as I typed away.

"No, there are some of their servers that are still online and still functional, they basically abandoned the Shinra building," he didn't say anymore after that and he let me work, watching over my shoulder with a certain curiosity that made me question if he was actually what I thought he was.

Hours passed before I found what I was looking for. Getting into Shinra's old system's was easy, it was finding what you wanted that was hard, especially since so much data had gone corrupt or missing. The good or bad thing was that I did find exactly what I was looking for. I knew what Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo were. They weren't clones, and I didn't know if it was better or worse what they were.

Essentially they were like me almost, with the exception that instead of having their parents being Cetra their parents were kids really, they had broken into the Shinra mansion around the time when Hojo started trying to recreate the experiment. Hojo kept them captive and used their offspring for his experiments. The end result was of course Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz. The surprising thing was that it wasn't that big of a secret, it was one of the lesser hidden files. One file shocked me, fragments of Hojo's diary.

_It would seem that my experiments have proven to be fruitful; we do not need living cetra to recreate the Jenova experiment as believed before. In light of the development of the youngest of my private experiments it would seem that I have finally proven that mako radiation is not needed to create another Sephiroth, thus making the Seraphim Project a failure. Specimen three seems to exhibit the speed and strength of Sephiroth, with time perhaps he could surpass Sephiroth. _

_President Shinra refuses to recognize the validity of my private experiments; he believes that with the success of the Seraphim Project we do not need repeat experiments. He said that I need to move on, that perhaps if I cannot think of other projects then I should consider other means of employment. The seraphim-1 is proving to grow faster and stronger with age, she is quicker than any soldier candidate they have perhaps specimen-3 is a failure. _

_We have moved into a new facility at the Shinra tower, I have left my lab at Niebelheim and thus abandoned my private experiment. Originator 1 and 2 both have been moved to the reactor, the specimens have been moved to the orphanage. They have been marked a failure but then again you have to fail to succeed this is science after all. _

I looked through more files for a moment, I fought so hard to not look behind me at him. When I found what I was looking for I quickly closed my laptop and unplugged it. Shortly after Kadaj's birth Hojo got the bright idea to experiment on them. He thought they were special, so he injected them with Jenova cell's. Like so many other people Hojo had experimented on, they mutated and became monster's, shadow's of their former selves.

"You're not a clone," I said as I put my laptop away "You were one of Hojo's many failed experiments, in fact your experiments inspired Hojo to do mine, you were infected with Jenova cells while still in your mother's womb, also from what I gather you were dumped in an orphanage when you were quite young,"

"Seven," his voice was quiet and distant, "What about my parents?" I turned around.

"I try best not to think about my parents, I was lucky, my mother died in child birth, and my father died during one of Hojo's experiments, both of yours died during an experiment as well from what I could glean," I looked away as I spoke the lie, it was a good lie.

"All I have is Yazoo and Loz," I looked at him and closed the distance between us.

"No, you have me," I smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek, he smiled back at me. "I'm going for a walk, I'm going to find out where Cloud and the others are, it's not too safe at the reactor so we should go in a large group" I left the room without looking back at him. I couldn't bring myself to stare at him too long, I knew if he started crying I was going to cry and then no work would ever get done.

Outside of the door I cursed myself, I was letting him get too close to me. No one was supposed to get close to me, I wasn't supposed to like anyone. And yet I liked him, and I hated myself for it.


	11. If

Standing at the center of town at that tall stone fountain made me feel alone. Really alone, terribly alone I was to some extent very much so alone. I suppose that was me being childish however, keeping people out pushing people away. I had always done it, it was my specialty. It always had been, that and to a lesser extent kicking ass. I smiled a small rueful smile as I heard foot steps approach behind me. I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword and turned around to find Cloud walking towards me.

"Cloud," I said with a small nod.

"Seraphim," the nod was returned. "I… Tifa had to go back, she couldn't find someone to watch over Denzel and Marlene," I nodded more as I watched Cloud pause and look dead at me, "You… you're making a mistake," I tilted my head to the side.

"How am I making a mistake?"

"I'm sure Shinra's not as bad as you think, Rufus isn't his father," he crossed his arms and squinted those too blue swimming mako enhanced eyes at me.

"Then why are they going after Jenova!" I leaned forward a bit and was sure to speak slowly to draw out my words to not like the anger seep into them.

"To keep her out of Yazoo and Loz's hands, I dunno, this doesn't feel right Seraphim," I laughed at him and turned around.

"Cloud nothing feels right anymore, but I've seen things with my own eyes that say this is right, that they are going after her for their own ends,"

"If you say so," he stood next to me and looked at me for a moment, I looked at him and smiled.

"You just miss Tifa," I laughed again and smiled at him "It's a good change, a month ago I would have said that you miss Aeris,"

"It was time to move on…" he trailed off a bit, his voice seemed so sad.

"Cheer up Spiky! Moving on is a good thing, it's not fair to Tifa if you're going to live off of a memory,"

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Kadaj? You know he's not going to stay on our side for long," His words stung a bit, but I didn't let it show I turned to face him and smiled a bit.

"Let me worry about Kadaj, I'll deal with him when… If it comes to that,"

"And if he embraces a piece of Jenova again?"

"I'll worry about that if and when it happens, It will be my problem, my fight,"

"If you say so," he sized me up for a moment. "But you couldn't face Sephiroth last time," and with that he turned on his heel and left. The anger that welled up inside of me was a terrible thing, I had to walk, I couldn't stay standing around in that square.

Walking always helped me think, and cool down. I learned that about myself the year after dealing with Sephiroth. Walking is a very very good thing for me. So I walked slowly around the town and in the direction of the reactor. I had done it so many times that my feet knew the path. I remembered my seventeenth year, I was brought here by Hojo, I remember looking at the mansion and thinking about how dirty it looked. Looking back on it was funny for me mainly because it was mere weeks before Cloud was there with Sephiroth, mere weeks before he lost his mind.

Now it was just this side of amusing to stare up at the creepy old dilapidated mansion. To know of all the secrets that hid inside of its walls and all of the experiments that had taken place simply in the name of Hojo's twisted science. I sighed and stared up the road passed it at the jagged peaks of the mountains and the glint of the abandoned reactor in the far off distance. I couldn't help but to think about what twisted tales those walls would tell if they could talk. Even looking away from it and starting down the road didn't stop my thoughts from wandering there. Unfortunately you couldn't walk in through the front doors anymore, they were sealed shut after we wandered in two years ago. So we were forced to go in a different route, through the mountains and in through the sewers. I was not looking forward to the adventure through the sewers.

My mind was so wrapped up in itself and it's morbid thought process that I was almost glad when I saw Yazoo standing in front of me. I drew my sword and grinned before he even said a word. I had a little bone to pick with Yazoo, and this time I was ready for him. After the last time he got the drop on me I promised myself I wouldn't let it happen again.

"Nice to see you again… sister," he spoke lazily as he slowly approached me, I narrowed my eyes at him.

"What do you want Yazoo?" I spoke softly as quickly glanced him over, and then looked around. I was hoping that it was only Kadaj who could call the shadow hounds.

"Nothing in particular, I know where Mother is… I know you know where mother is…" he smiled a small smile, "But I cannot seem to find a way in,"

"And you're not," I said with a grin and I pursed my lips and readied myself for him to strike.

"But sister, I only want to help our Mother! Don't you want to help Mother, Seraphim?"

"Let me tell you a little something about Mother, Yazoo. I couldn't possibly care less about what Jenova wants, in fact I want Jenova dead, and I won't rest until I have all of her little pieces in a nice big bonfire!" I yelled the last part as I rushed him, I figure what the hell why shouldn't I initiate the fighting, after all I don't even pretend to be a good guy.

Fighting, isn't as easy as they like to make it seem. I jumped at him slashing my sword in a very appropriate downward arc but with Yazoo being so much similar to what I am he moved just in time and my Katana shuddered against the steel of the wrought iron as I sliced through it easily.

Unfortunately my little follow through gave him enough time to draw those little gun daggers of his and come after me shooting. I dodged most of the bullets and deflected the rest with my sword. I did have a shield materia equipped but I was saving it for a very precise moment.

Every now and then I got close enough to him to slice at him a bit, and I usually got a few very good slices in, namely at his arm shredding the leather of his suit and leaving a nice little red cut that dripped blood. This made me happy, perhaps happier than it should have.

Then it happened the moment I was waiting for. He left himself wide open when he went to shoot at me and I activated my shield. The shell went up around me and his bullets just bounced off, and I ran towards him as fast as my tired legs could carry me and I kicked him as hard as I could in the chest. He went flying through the air and landed on the ground yards away. I slumped over a bit as he peeled himself off of the ground and narrowed his eyes at me before he turned to run away.

"And I'm not your Goddamned Sister!" I screamed at him as he ran and I sheathed my sword and near to collapsed against the nearest tree. Not wanting to rest was apparently not an option as my muscles screamed at me even as I sat on the soft over grown green grass by the side of the road. I was totally out of breath and exhausted so exhausted that it took a moment to realize that unfortunately Yazoo had run off in the right direction. "Damn," I cursed as I took my cell phone out of my coat pocket. I dialed Cloud's number.

"Hello?"

"Cloud, you need to get everyone together and we need to head out now," I emphasized the now as much as I could.

"Why, what's wrong?" he seemed almost apathetic to the fact that I sounded like I was going to die of exhaustion.

"Yazoo is what's wrong he's here… kind of I think he knows how to get into the mansion,"

"Are you sure?"

"Am I sure?! Look just get everyone together and have the start for the mountain's I'll meet you on the way,"

"All right… I'll get them together…Where are you?"

"I'm by the mansion just hurry okay, I have a sneaky suspicion that Loz is near by too," I hung up my phone and leaned back against the tree again. Within seconds my breathing was back to normal. I was worried for a second about how winded I had gotten and then I remembered. Jenova. It took a lot out of me to be around others who were infected when they were being hurt. For a moment I almost thought that I might not be able to do this, I quickly pushed the thought out of my head and stood. I stretched my back and stared at the mansion. I had a thought that chilled me to the bone, and the thought was maybe Sephiroth was right for burning it to the ground. I pushed the thought out of my head and started in the direction of the Inn either we would run into each other or I would get there while they were still getting packed either way same end.


End file.
